Fear into Joy

Have you ever lied to God?  Have you ever tried to hide your feelings from Him and pretend they aren’t in the way of your prayers?  While trying to cram the desire of your heart aside and concentrate on what you think God wants to hear, do you lie by not speaking the truth?  Well, I do, and in talking with others, I know I am not alone.

The next time we find fear mentioned in Genesis is when a saint of God’s own flock lied to Him. God told Abraham that Sarah would have a son. This was a physical impossibility and she laughed in her heart at the very thought.  God asked why she laughed and she denied having done so.  She lied to God.  Uh-oh!  Smack on the head time, right?  God said, “No, you laughed,” and Sarah knew in her heart that God knew all.  That simple conviction of sin and reproach was all that God needed to do to Sarah.  You see, He had better things in mind than smacking her on the head.

God said to her, you will have a son and call his name Isaac, which in Hebrew means laughter.  Each time she called her son she would remember how she had laughed at God and remember how gracious He had been.  In our foolishness as lost people we laugh at and mock God all the time.  His response?  He sent His Son to die for our sins.  When we believe Him and receive the gift of new birth, we should not dwell on the dread of remembered sins, but we should constantly remember the grace of His love that forgave them.  God loves to turn fear into grace and sorrow into joy.  Thank Him again right now for turning the fear of judgment into the rejoicing of grace. 

Now, the next time you want to hide something from God in your prayers, don’t.  If He loves us so much as to turn judgment into rejoicing, can’t we really expect Him to turn our greatest concerns into our greatest joys?  Praise God.  Believe His promises.  Live in joy and peace.

The great hymnist Eliza Hewitt wrote a song for this occasion, “Sunshine in My Soul”. Sing along: “(1) There is sunshine in my soul today, more glorious and bright than glows in any earthly sky, for Jesus is my light. (R) O there’s sunshine, blessèd sunshine, when the peaceful, happy moments roll; when Jesus shows His smiling face, there is sunshine in the soul.  (2) There is gladness in my soul today, and hope and praise and love, for blessings which He gives me now, for joys laid up above.” 

 

 

 

Visit my website at www.davidccraig.net for inspiring Christian books.  Coming this month is my newest book Taking Care of Joe.  This is the story of a caregiver for an Alzheimer’s patient.  See how God adds His grace in the face of this horrible disease and how living a life of love is living a life NOT interrupted.  You may also find some of my selected daily devotions at FEBC.org.  FEBC is a vital missionary outreach to many countries that are closed to traditional missionary work.